![](https://www.indianz.com/News/2015/12/17/quiltwalkforjustice120715a.jpg)
Native women carry signs reading Project Our Penojek (Children) during a rally at the U.S. Supreme Court on December 7, 2015. Photo by Indianz.Com
Indian organizations are hosting a briefing on Capitol Hill this week to discuss violence against Native women and men. The National Congress of American Indians, the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center and the Indian Law Resource Center will discuss a new report from the Department of Justice that once again confirmed the high rates of violence in Indian Country. It showed that Native women and men are more likely to be victimized by someone from another race. "The report confirms what we see at the grassroots level every day,” Lucy Simpson, the executive director of the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, said in a press release. “Native women suffer terribly disproportionate rates of violence, and it is usually non-Native men who are committing these crimes. We need to make sure that our tribal governments have all the tools they need to respond to this epidemic of violence.” Those tools include the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The landmark law recognizes the "inherent" authority of tribes to arrest, prosecute and sentence non-Indians for committing domestic violence offenses against their partners. But Native women and tribal prosecutors point out that the law comes with some limits. Crimes against children are not covered nor are Native women and men who are victimized by strangers. "The law needs to be expanded to protect additional victims and all tribes should be provided with the proper resources to implement the law," said Terri Henry, the co-chair of NCAI's task force on violence against women and the chair of the Indian Law Resource Center's board of directors. To address some of those loopholes, Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) introduced S.2785, the Tribal Youth and Community Protection Act in April. Like VAWA, the bill recognizes the "inherent" authority of tribes over any person -- regardless of race -- who commits domestic violence against children and crimes against tribal officers. The measure goes further and recognizes tribal jurisdiction over anyone who commits drug related crimes. The lawmakers say the provision will help fight the "growing drug epidemic" in Indian Country. The National Institute of Justice also endorsed the idea of expanding jurisdiction in light of the data presented in its report on violence in Indian Country. "While the results on interracial and intraracial victimizations in this report are not surprising, they provide strong support for Indian nations’ sovereign right to prosecute non-Indian offenders," the report stated. The Capitol Hill briefing will take place from 1:30-3pm on Thursday in Room SVC 203-02 of the Capitol Visitor’s Center. It's being held in cooperation with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-New York). National Institute of Justice Report:
Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men (May 2016)
Join the Conversation
Related Stories
Supreme
Court decision hailed as a victory for tribal sovereignty (06/14) Matthew Fletcher: Takeaways from Supreme Court's new decision (06/14)
Supreme Court upholds use of tribal convictions in federal system (06/13)
Cronkite News: Tribes support efforts to expand criminal authority (05/19)
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs focuses on justice issues (05/17)
Kevin Washburn: Empower tribes to prosecute reservation crime (05/11)
Tribes to finally see funding to exercise jurisdiction over non-Indians (05/09)
Study confirms high rate of violence against Native women and men (05/05)
Supreme Court case prompts spirited defense of tribal judiciary systems (04/19)
Bill in Senate expands tribal jurisdiction over non-Indian offenders (04/14)
Capitol Hill briefing on Violence Against Women Act in Indian Country (02/22)
Cherokee Nation working to prosecute non-Indians under VAWA (01/07)
Supreme Court agrees to review yet another Indian law dispute (12/14)
DOJ asks Supreme Court to hear Indian domestic violence case (11/11)
Vice President Joe Biden reflects on triumphs of Obama's Indian policies (10/28)
Tribes still waiting on funds from Violence Against Women Act (10/16)
Pioneering tribes share experiences with prosecuting non-Indians (10/07)
DOJ awards $97M in grants for public safety in Indian Country (09/16)
Nez Perce Tribe hosts conference to combat violence and abuse (09/09)
Alaska to recognize tribal domestic violence protection orders (07/31)
Congress fails to provide funds to help tribes comply with VAWA (07/29)
Ambassador Harper discusses violence against indigenous women (07/09)
Native Sun News: Oglala leader blames deaths on domestic violence (07/06)
Appropriations bill adds $10M for tribal courts in PL280 states (07/01)
Eastern Cherokees assert authority in all domestic violence cases (06/16)
Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate ready to exercise VAWA jurisdiction (05/22)
Pascua Yaqui Tribe hosts Violence Against Women Act training (5/20)
Native Sun News: Tribes meet to discuss VAWA implementation (04/10)
California Indian Legal Services announces new VAWA project (04/06)
US Attorneys host tribes for Violence Against Women Act session (04/02)
Pascua Yaqui Tribe prosecutes 19 non-Indian cases with VAWA (03/20)
LTBB News: Little Traverse Bay Bands to exercise VAWA power (03/19)
Eastern Cherokees make changes to exercise VAWA authority (03/18)
Tribes in Montana still looking at jurisdiction provisions in VAWA (03/13)
Fort Peck Tribes ready to exercise VAWA power over non-Indians (03/12)
White House Blog: Tribes make communities safer with VAWA (03/11)
Tribes in pilot project filed 26 VAWA cases against non-Indians (03/10)
Tribes reach key milestone with jurisdiction provisions of VAWA (3/9)
Updates from National Congress of American Indians winter session (2/26)
Tribes in Maine face opposition to jurisdiction over non-Indians (02/24)
Bill requires law degree to join Navajo Nation Supreme Court (02/03)
Obama signs measure to extend VAWA tribal provision to Alaska (12/19)
VAWA jurisdiction provision poses special issue for Alaska tribes (12/15)
Congress clears bill to extend VAWA tribal provisions to Alaska (12/12)
Senate backs measure to extend VAWA tribal provisions to Alaska (12/09)
Vice President Biden calls for inclusion of Alaska tribes in VAWA (12/04)
PBS: VAWA helps tribes go after non-Indian domestic offenders (11/24)
Republicans hold up action on Alaska tribal jurisdiction measure (11/19)
Eric Holder: Responding to sexual violence in Indian Country (11/18)
DOJ task force calls for tribal jurisdiction in child abuse cases (11/18)